


Imposter

by Lost_And_Longing



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Child Neglect, Fantastic Racism, Frigga's Good Parenting, Gen, He's Trying His Best Okay, Hurt Loki, Hurt/Comfort, Loki Has Issues, Neglect, Odin is trying, Odin's Good Parenting, Prejudice, Self-Esteem Issues, Shapeshifting, surprisingly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 01:25:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16734384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lost_And_Longing/pseuds/Lost_And_Longing
Summary: Based off the prompt: "Do you think Loki ever shape-shifted into Thor to see what it felt like to be around his dad and be treated with praise and admiration rather than being seen as a disappointment."Or: Loki's always wondered what it would be like to be Thor. So he decides to try it out.





	1. Chapter 1

The first time it happened, Odin didn't even notice.

It was late evening after a long council meeting and Odin was exhausted. He'd just stepped out of the council room, planning to go straight back to his rooms and sleep, when he bumped straight into Thor. Odin barely even noticed the collision, but his son staggered backwards clumsily before righting himself.

"My- my apologies," Thor stammered out swiftly, looking embarrassed. "I was not watching where I stepped." 

Odin smiled and clapped a hand on Thor's shoulder. His son flinched back from the touch as though stung. "Ah, my son, it's good to see you here. The day has been long and I'm glad to be done with it. What do you say we take dinner together?"

Odin was not overly fond of pomp and ceremony, at least in day-to-day affairs. On special occasions, or when guests arrived, he would take dinner in the great hall with his people. On most days, though, his duties took him far past the usual dinner time and he sometimes hardly had time to eat before bed. It wasn't unusual for Odin to eat with Frigga or one of his sons if he ran into them, but often he would eat alone.

Thor's face lit up, before schooling itself. "Yes, my k- Father, that sounds wonderful. I have not yet had dinner either."

"Good. I shall inform the servants that we wish to dine together. Come, let's go to my rooms."

"Your...rooms?" Thor murmured, before wincing. He clearly hadn't meant to say it out loud. 

"Of course my rooms," Odin said, smiling a bit. He didn't notice Thor's eyes latch onto the expression. "Where else would we dine at so late an hour?"

Thor conceded that with a nod. "Of course. I'm simply more used to dining in the hall, 'tis all." 

Odin saw a servant up ahead, and called to stop her. After telling her what was needed, he led the way into his rooms. Thor tagged along behind.

Odin's personal rooms reflected both the voluptuousness and wealth of his palace and the unpretentious nature of Odin himself. The floors and walls were carved stone, the sparse furniture made of fine wood and rich silks. A few exquisite tapestries lined the walls - Frigga's own - and a few useful or tasteful objects lay scattered around.

The front room, where Odin usually ate, was mostly empty except for a small, wooden table and four chairs. A beautifully woven rug of red and gold lay underneath it, and a matching tablecloth covered it. Two low couches sat against the walls. Their red velvet cushions were embroidered beautifully - another gift of Frigga's. There were a couple of bookshelves as well, though the bulk of Odin's books were in his bedroom and office, where they could be better protected by seclusion and spell-work.

Thor's eyes flicked from place to place, eyes widening ever so slightly as though it were a sight he was unaccustomed to. It shouldn't have been: although Odin never seemed to find Loki at the right time, he'd invited Thor in several times just in the past decade. 

As the servants brought the food in, Thor sat down with uncharacteristic grace. He ate daintily, without the gusto Odin was accustomed to seeing in his son. Figuring he was simply tired, or had perhaps lied about already eating, Odin decided not to mention it.

"I was talking with Captain Asger recently," he said after a long period of slightly-uncomfortable silence, "and he commended you for your strength. He said that we have not had a fighter as strong as you in centuries. You will one day be a worthy protector of the Nine Realms, my son."

Instead of looking pleased like Odin had expected, Thor looked conflicted. The expression was gone as soon as it came, however, replaced with a broad smile. "I thank Captain Asger for his words, Father, and you for passing them on."

That was strange, both in the tone and the uncharacteristic eloquence. Odin eyed Thor a little oddly.

As though he realized that, Thor began to speak of his training himself, mingling in a fair amount of his usual boasts and humor. That, at least, was exactly in character for his son. So, deciding that something odd must've simply happened between Thor and Captain Asger, Odin let it to rest. 

It would take years before he finally discovered his mistake.

 

* * *

 

It started happening more and more often, these occurrences of Thor's strange behavior. In fact, they began to happen so much that Odin almost accepted it as a new side of Thor he'd not yet seen.

Sometimes, Odin would make a small jibe at his son's expense. Thor, he knew - or thought he knew - was terrible at taking such things in stride, and would flush, or else take offense. But one day, Thor only smirked and threw Odin's words right back with nary a pause. Odin had been so surprised he hardly knew how to respond. And once it had happened the first time, it began happening more and more often.

It wasn't only his humor that changed, either. Thor was both naive and headstrong. So it was much to Odin's surprise one day when one of the more unruly citizens insulted Thor. Instead of charging at the man and challenging him to a duel, Thor only rolled his eyes and walked on. Odin afterwards noticed subtle signs of anger - narrowed eyes, longer stride, tensed hands. Thor had never been good at hiding his emotions before; when had that changed?

There was also the time when one of Odin's council members approached them when they were alone together and asked Odin a question. The All-Father asked Thor his opinion, expecting an answer similar in vein to "Bash all their heads in and be done with the matter." Instead, Thor looked down and gave a careful, considerate response that astonished Odin. The smile on Thor's face when Odin praised him for it - proud, disbelieving, satisfied - was yet another strange piece to the puzzle that was becoming Thor.

Another odd thing was Thor's body language. The Thor Odin had been used to walked with the arrogant swagger of a man who knew his strength and thought he owned the world. He dominated in conversations, if not verbally, then physically. Yet sometimes Odin would spot him walking around and he seemed suddenly so much smaller.

Thor was also prone to giving affection in the form of physical touch, and Odin had never once seen him reject it. Until Odin tried to pull him in for a hug once and Thor started so badly he almost fell. He apologized quickly, looking mortified and then allowing the hug, but even then Odin did not feel him relax into it.

It was strange. And Odin wasn't sure what to think about it. Some of these changes he most certainly liked. The thoughtfulness, the care with which he picked his words at times - those were certainly good traits. The witty sense of humor, although vastly different from Thor's usual brand of jokes, was not unwelcome. The cunning and mischief Odin saw appear occasionally were not bad, either - as long as they were directed properly, that is. 

But there were other traits that weren't so nice, and it were those that Odin worried about. The seemingly newfound dislike of physical touch, the tendency to start arguments for little to no reason, the new rage that resided just barely beneath the surface, none of that was good. Even worse were the sadness that lurked in Thor's eyes and the longing Odin saw constantly at times, never at others. Although these came in place of stubbornness and tactlessness, Odin did not know if he would have them switched. 

When he thought about it, it wasn't a question of which traits he'd prefer his son to have. It was a question of the unfamiliar behavior and the thought that something might be wrong with him. Thor was his son no matter what his character. So Odin resolved he'd get to the bottom of this. If it turned out to be nothing but a peculiar change of character, Odin would leave it at that. But something told him this was more.

Odin decided he'd not speak to Thor of this - if it were truly nothing to be alarmed about, he'd only embarrass the boy. Having someone question a large portion of your personality was quite unsettling, after all. No, first he'd ask those closest to Thor if they'd noticed anything off. 

With his mind made up, he went first to Frigga. Their rooms were joined but still separate, so the walk from his bedroom to her chambers was short. He stepped inside and looked around for her.

Frigga's rooms were more lavish but also more homey. Whereas Odin's rooms were luxurious but bare, Frigga's were full of beauty. Twin pillars adorned the entrance to her chambers; from there were festooned blue and silver draperies. Art of all sorts - mosaic, tapestry, painting - lined the walls, ceilings, and floors of her entire apartment. 

The entrance chamber had a mosaic of their family on the floor. Odin gazed down at it fondly. He remembered when Frigga had come to him, requesting it be done. Thor had just passed his 700th year, and Loki was barely 200 - mostly grown physically, but emotionally still a child. She'd asked that they have a portrait of their whole family immortalized. For Loki, she'd said specifically. For him to feel like he was truly a part of the family.

His sons seemed so young then, though physically little had changed. Perhaps Loki was a little taller, Thor a little more muscular, but a stranger could not have told the difference. Yet looking at it now, Odin noticed their change in bearing. Loki - well, he'd not seen much of Loki lately. But still, he seemed so much more confident now, his eyes so much more cunning. Thor too was more confident, but his was different. His was a confidence born of strength at arms, not strength at deceit. 

"My love," Odin called, "are you here? I have a matter of some importance I wish for your counsel on." 

"In here," came the answer. "What's the matter?"

Odin followed Frigga's voice into her bedroom. She was sitting at her loom, but paused with her weaving as he came in. Her eyes searched his expression. He gave her a soft smile, not wanting her to think the matter was a grave one.

"Of late," he began, "I've noticed a change in Thor's behavior. It is quite the stark one and I wished to ask if you'd noticed the same." 

Frigga tilted her head. "A stark change in Thor's behavior? How so?"

Odin began to pace. He recounted all his observations to her as evenly as he could, though he could not prevent the confusion in his tone. "Could Thor simply be changing so much naturally? It has only been a few years, yet his behavior is so different. Even stranger, it only happens occasionally. Most of the time he is exactly the same as the Thor I have known for a millennium."

Frigga thought for a moment. "That is certainly unusual. I myself have not noticed such a thing. Could it be that he only acts that way around you?"

"But why would he act a certain way sometimes and not others? I have tried to think of any link between the behaviors and have found nothing." Odin sighed. "And I would not mention it to him, lest he be embarrassed."

"Perhaps Loki has noticed something?" Frigga offered. "He is the most observant of all of us, except, perhaps, Heimdall himself. If something were going on with Thor, he would know."

"That is good counsel. I shall ask him." Odin bent down and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Thank you."

"Of course. Now go, my love. Delve to the bottom of this."

Odin turned and strode out of her chambers. Now to find Loki.

 

* * *

 

It took some time, but Odin eventually managed to find him. He was in Frigga's personal gardens, sprawled in one of her trees, reading. It was clearly a good book. His eyes were alight with interest, the book so close to his face he was practically eating it. 

Odin stopped some distance away. It had been awhile since he'd even seen his son - weeks at least, maybe months. After all, it wasn't unusual for Æsir to go some time without seeing their family members. Odin had never really thought about how little he saw Loki. But now that he was right in front of Odin, he realized just how long it had been since he'd properly spent time with his son - years, probably. And he felt a little guilty that it was only in concern to Thor that Odin had come.

His family was already one of the more distant families. He often wouldn't see Frigga for weeks on end if she got caught up in a project or went to another realm for diplomatic reasons. Thor he saw more often, seeing as he was always at the palace - and especially in the past decade or so, often seemed to catch Odin at oddly convenient times. But even then, it was not unusual to go months without exchanging more than a few pleasantries. The Æsir were long of life and memory both. They did not need to spend time with others in the same way that many lesser, shorter-lived races did. Yet still...even for the Æsir, years was too long.

He took a moment to look at his son. He seemed little different to how Odin remembered him last. He was dressed as immaculately as Odin had always remembered: even from childhood, he had always cared for appearances much more than Thor ever had. Not a single strand of hair stood out, nor did a single strap or fold of fabric fall out of place. The blackness of his hair, slicked back almost severely, highlighted his sheer paleness and the dark circles around his eyes. 

"Loki," Odin called softly.

Loki stiffened, eyes flicking over to the All-Father. His mouth thinned. "All-Father, have you need of me?" 

Yes, he did. But something in the way Loki had said those words struck Odin in a way he didn't like. The words sounded as tired as the bags under his eyes, as harsh as the sharp lines of his cheekbones.

So Odin shook his head and said, "No, I simply wished for the pleasure of your company."

Loki's fingers tightened around the book that he still hadn't moved from his face. His eyes moved back to its pages and his body shifted away from Odin. "Then I'm afraid you have set yourself up only for disappointment. I've been told that my company is not the most pleasurable."

When had Loki become so guarded? "I wonder then at your sources, for never has a guest to our palace spoken ill of your company. They rather sing your praises, Silver-Tongue."

"My sources are those others, your rightful citizens, All-Father. As an Æsir yourself and a warrior, there is no doubt you would find a _seiðmaðr..._ distasteful."

Odin stared at his son. Although there was a well-known prejudice against male sorcerers,  _seiðmaðrs_ , Odin had never thought how that would affect Loki. Loki's title and position should have spared him at least some of the insults thrown at them, but he supposed even then there were yet all too many.

He remembered comforting Loki once, when he'd first started learning  _seiðr_  - magic - as a boy. Thor and his friends had all made fun of him for being less than manly. Frigga, herself a  _seiðkona_ \- sorceress - had gone to have some choice words with them about manliness and magic. Odin had told Loki then that  _seiðr_ was a gift to be proud of, and he'd thought Loki had believed him. He was a fool to think such a thing would last centuries, however.

"I told you many centuries ago that power over  _seiðr_ is a gift given to few, and it is a thing to be proud of. Many is it who can fight with swords and fists; few is it, indeed, who can fight with  _seiðr._ I would think that should make you even more entertaining."

"Unfortunately, your thoughts rival that of your people." Loki had lowered the book slightly, and his eyes were back on Odin.

"Fortunately, my thoughts do not rival my own. And it is I who wish to speak with you." He paused, then, "What book is it you're reading? You seem captivated by it."

Loki blinked. "Oh, this? It would not interest you."

"Do not presume my interests, my son. If it speaks of  _seiðr,_ I know it well." Although Odin had never been formally trained in it, the Odinforce had granted to him many abilities similar to that of  _seiðr._  

Loki looked a little abashed, but covered it quickly. "It is a treatise on the fundamentals of fire  _seiðr._ I have always found it the most difficult of magics to master."

Odin didn't need to wonder as to why that was. "Oh? Do you desire to be skilled at all types of  _seiðr?"_

"It is my opinion that one should always strive to improve one's weaknesses whenever possible. I had also grown weary of learning a new spell, and decided to read for a bit instead."

"What spell are you learning?"

Loki shifted. "I wish to learn how to dream-walk. There is much knowledge in the dream-world; it seems a waste to leave it alone. But I can only attempt the spell when I am sleeping, so it is slow progress."

Odin nodded his understanding. "Tell me, Loki, what is your favorite spell?"

"Why do you wish to know?" He was becoming guarded once more. There was a cold cunning in his eyes Odin didn't remember seeing before. He had all the defensiveness of a wild animal seconds from fleeing - or fighting.

"You are my son," Odin said. "Is it wrong for a father to ask about his son?"

Loki didn't respond. The defensiveness smoothed into suspicion, but whatever he suspected, he did not voice. Eventually he spoke. "I suppose...it's nowhere near complete, but I've begun to learn how to form doubles of myself and how to shift my form to another. The shape-shifting has proved much..." 

He trailed off, looking cagey. Odin thought it odd, but had no idea why. When he answered, he gave his voice a hint of encouragement and enthusiasm, meant to spur Loki on.

"How far can you go? Can you turn to a beast?"

Loki smirked, mischief lighting his eyes. "The simpler ones I have already mastered - insects, fish, the smaller reptiles and birds. It is my wish to be as thorough as possible."

A good trait in a king, Odin noted. Then Loki continued, "I've had quite the wonderful time of it. You wouldn't believe the screams some women will give upon seeing a frog where it is not supposed to be - their soup, for instance."

Despite himself, Odin had to fight back a smile at the picture that presented. But he was king, and Loki's mischief had caused trouble countless times. "Loki. You must use your power responsibly, not with the maturity of a child." 

He'd said it mildly, without any real meaning - simply a dutiful reminder, not even a reproof. But Loki stiffened as though he'd turned to ice. 

"I am not a child," he hissed. "And I would not have you call me one. I am fully a man by all the laws of our people!" 

The sudden, violent anger was both familiar and not familiar to Odin. He felt like he had seen such outbursts recently, but it couldn't be. He hadn't spoken to Loki at all in weeks, let alone held a conversation with him. 

"A man, yet still one who would do well to heed counsel." When Odin saw that his words had had little affect, he sighed. He did not particularly feel like dealing with an angry, petulant Loki. Nor did he think it would be of any benefit to either of them to continue the conversation now. "If you will not do so, I will take my leave."

Loki pointedly picked his book back up. Odin sighed once more and took that as his cue to leave. Hopefully, next time he'd find him in a better mood.

 

* * *

 

But next time seemed to drag on and on until Odin wondered if it would become never. Although he now had a purpose to look for Loki, finding him was not an easy task. The man seemed to know exactly the best hiding spots, and Odin did not have unlimited time. After several fruitless weeks of either failing to find his son or finding him and discovering his abysmal mood, Odin decided to give up on that for the time being. Instead, he went back to Frigga.

"Have you spoken to Loki about Thor's behavior?" she asked him as he stepped into her room. She was sitting at her desk, poring over a spell-book.

He sighed. "No, not yet. I've been trying to talk to him for the past weeks, but always is he either hiding or angry. It seems that both our sons have changed, Frigga - I never knew Loki to be so irascible."

Frigga closed her book and looked up at her husband. "Loki's always been temperamental, you know that. And he's always been hard to get to know. Even I often find that his moods shift like sand in a glass. Likely he no longer knows how to speak with you, and so he defends himself, either by lying or shouting. Or both."

"I don't have time to waste on his ever-changing moods," Odin grumbled. "I've made no progress on Thor. Loki most likely knows something, but if I ask he will probably accuse me of liking Thor more than he." 

Frigga hummed. "Would he be right?"

He straightened, offended. "You would accuse your husband of favoritism, woman?"

"Perhaps. You should hear the people's gossip - they always speak of Thor as your son, Loki as mine. Whether your intentions be that way or not, it is how they've been seen. You should think on it. It could be that that's the source of Loki's anger."

Odin heaved an exasperated sigh. "I am already trying to sort one son out! I have not the time for the other!"

His wife's lips suddenly thinned into a straight line and he realized his mistake. "And that right there is precisely the problem. My husband, you chose Loki out of Jotunheim itself. You cannot abandon him now. He has done nothing to incur such a thing. In fact, if you but saw how hard he tries to persuade the council-members to your point of view, you would realize he's done quite the opposite."

"He does what?" Odin had never heard of such a thing.

Frigga eyed him. "Go, and find your son. You have neglected him for long enough."

Odin stared at her for a moment longer, then slowly nodded. Without a word, he turned and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seiðr (SAY-der) is the magic of the ancient Norse, usually used in rituals and for prophesying or changing fate. A seiðmaðr is a male sorcerer - literally, seiðr-man. Similarly, seiðkona is used for sorceresses, and literally means seiðr-woman. There is also the Völva or Spákona - a seer or prophet.
> 
> In Norse mythology, Odin is technically a seiðmaðr. In fact, he is probably the only known seiðmaðr (as far as I can tell, Loki isn't one), and definitely one of the greatest. However in the MCU, most, if not all, of his power stems from the Odinforce, which is mystical in nature but different from seiðr. So Odin, although he has powers similar to a seiðmaðr, is not going to be subjected to the insults and degradation that they normally get. As was hinted in this chapter, and will be seen more as we go forward.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you all manage to have a happy holiday, despite what your circumstances might be.

It took almost an hour, but Odin finally found Loki. He had sequestered himself in the library, in a hidden nook far at the back behind the oldest and most treasured books. He was reading what looked to be a tome on the war between Jötunheim and Asgard, cross-referencing it with a half-dozen other books.

Odin frowned when he saw it and came to a stop several feet away. Of course he knew that the books on Jötunheim were hardly restricted. Still, the thought of Loki reading those books didn't sit well. 

He remembered how angry Frigga had been a few centuries ago, when she had found Thor telling Loki stories of the war - all of which had horrific, monstrous Jötnar featured prominently. Thor, utterly confused as to why this was a problem, had told her that he'd found the stories in the library. Frigga had ordered all of them burned, then stormed up to Odin and demanded to know why he hadn't burned them first. Why he hadn't even tried to curtail the rapidly growing prejudice against the Jötnar after the war. 

After the war, Odin...Odin had been too tired to even attempt such a colossal task. He had lost his brother, hundreds of his people, and one of his eyes. It had been an enormous effort simply to make the necessary peace talks, to reestablish peace in his kingdom, and to rebuild what had been destroyed. War was a growling lion that had destroyed everything he loved from the foundations up. It was enough simply to rebuild the foundation. 

But Odin knew that he'd rebuilt it crookedly and wrong. He'd brought back a Jötunn and let him grow up believing, with the rest of the Æsir, that his own race was a horrific one.

That, more than anything, was the reason he never wanted to tell Loki the truth. 

"History books? I'd have thought you'd be reading more interesting things, my son."

Loki didn't start, but it was close. He kept his eyes on the page he was reading when he responded. "I've found some inconsistencies between the books. I wish to rectify them."

Odin took a step forward. The path to Loki's heart was, and always had been, knowledge. "What are they? Perhaps I can help."

Loki then looked up. Anger and suspicion vied for dominance in his gaze. "And what do you want for your efforts?"

"What makes you think I want anything, except to spend time with my son?"

Loki didn't waver. "You always want something. You always have an ulterior motive, All-Father. What is it you want from me?"

"I've told you already," Odin said calmly, "I wish for nothing but-"

"Lies!" Loki's lips curled into a sneer. "Let me guess; it has to do with Thor." 

"That is not it at all."

"You would lie to the Liesmith himself, All-Father?" There was a virulent rage in Loki's expression that unnerved even Odin. He spat the next words like they were poison. "Don't bother. I am a child no longer. I'm old enough to know that everything to you is about Thor."

"Loki..."

"Leave, All-Father. If your only wish is truly to spend time with me, then you have no reason to stay with someone who will give you no time."

Odin looked at Loki searchingly. His hands were clenched into fists and his eyes were serpentine and wrathful. But there was fear, too. Fear that Odin understood with a sudden flash of enlightenment. Loki was afraid that he was right - that Odin truly had come for Thor, not Loki.

His instinctive first thought, was to order Loki to spend time with him. He was king and All-Father and such commands were fully in his right. But he knew he could not do so. Doing so would be confirming what Loki so desperately wanted him to deny: that he had come to Loki as a king, to command him to do something for Thor. That he had come as Thor's father, but Loki's king.

So he couldn't order Loki to stay, and if Loki truly wanted him gone, he would have to leave. But was there still a way to salvage this, instead of taking yet another step backwards?

"You know," Odin said finally, "that you and Thor are opposites in many things."

That was, apparently, so unexpected that Loki fell silent. There was still rage on his brow, but it had quieted for the moment.

"Thor has always been my warrior. He is loud and boisterous and reckless. I could not catch him dead in a library. And you, you are none of those things. You fight not with your body but with your mind. You are quiet and-"

"Enough!" Loki growled. "I have gotten your point! I am not, and never will be, like Thor. Your  _favorite._ Must you continue to taunt me so?"

"But there are some things you have in common," Odin continued quietly, so quietly that Loki was forced to listen. "Your mother and I love you both."

For a moment, he thought that had been enough. Loki's eyes had widened in shock and one hand was frozen in midair, fingers stretched towards Odin. 

But then Loki's gaze hardened. "Love that is only shown to the one," he said coldly, and turned his back to Odin. "I will not say this again: leave me."

Odin sighed, a sigh that wearied him and made him feel his age. "Very well."

So he turned and strode away.

 

* * *

 

Odin went to Frigga and told her of what happened. She looked at him sadly and said, "It seems that, for now, our son is out of reach. Give him time, my love. He will come to you when he is ready."

So Odin gave him time. He gave him days, then weeks, then months. In all that time, he waited for Loki to approach him, to make even the slightest sign that he wanted to be in Odin's presence. But he did not.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Thor approached him when Loki did not. Odin spent more time with Thor in three months than he'd spent with Loki in a decade. But although he enjoyed the company of his eldest son, he couldn't help the guilt he felt for not being in the company of his youngest more often. And now that Thor's strange moods were becoming even more common, it was sometimes awkward.

There were times he wondered if Thor were a different person wearing the same form as his son. When he was in one of his moods, Odin thought he seemed more like Loki than himself. Now that he'd spoken to Loki, he noticed how similar Thor and Loki's tempers sometimes were - unexpected, swift, and long-burning. Thor had never used to be one to hold a grudge; Loki always had been. Now Thor seemed divided in-between.

The two brothers had been opposites as long as Odin could remember. Thor was loud, strong, cheery, and brash. Loki was quiet, swift, melancholic, and calculated. That was how they were supposed to be - two opposing stars orbiting each other, neither one stronger or weaker than the other. They weren't supposed to collide or break their orbit. They weren't supposed to be replicas of each other, either. Equal, yes, but dissimilar - each one balancing the other out. 

Odin had originally taken Loki for two reasons. The first was simple: he had been wearied and war-torn and there had been a life in front of him, an innocent life untouched by the horrors around them. He saw a baby, cast out by his own family, and so he'd taken it. There had been enough death that day. There had been enough suffering. He could bear no more. Something good, at least, could come from that day. 

The second was one he had now begun to cast aside. He had seen the Jötunn markings on the baby's forehead, the ones that identified him as Laufeyson. And as he'd held Loki, blue skin fading to white, he'd wondered, even hoped...perhaps this baby could unite Asgard and Jötunheim one day. Perhaps he could be the token of peace Odin so desperately needed to see.

But, as the years had faded into each other and the Jötunn had grown up, Odin had gradually ceased to think of it - although it had taken him far longer than he'd wished to admit. Raising the son of his mortal foe wasn't easy. It was even harder when Loki sometimes would look at him with the same expression as Laufey, or would speak the same words Laufey had once spoken, or would move with Laufey's grace. There had been days - and sometimes were days still - when Odin would look at Loki and see his nemesis staring back.

But one day Frigga had pulled him aside and lectured him for hours on his behavior. "He is  _your_ son," she'd said, "chosen by  _you,_ and I will not have you casting him aside for Thor. Loki is not Laufey. He is only as much like Laufey as you let him be. Norns, my husband, if you had wished to treat him as a Jötnar enemy, you should have locked him up, not raised him as yours."

She'd ended with a hard stare and a promise that, if his treatment of Loki didn't improve, Odin could expect their marriage to suffer for it. It was that more than anything that had gotten through to him. Frigga was not one to impose her will on others, not even as queen. But when two of her greatest loves suffered, she could not sit still. So Odin had agreed, and henceforth endeavored to do better.

That day could not have been more than two centuries ago, if that. Thinking back on it, Odin regretted it had taken so long. Loki was not a Laufeyson, but an Odinson. He was a son of Asgard no matter whose blood ran through his veins. He was not a stolen relic, nor was he a peace treaty's terms. 

From then on he'd done his best to make up for his past misdeeds, and he'd raised Loki with Thor. Loki had never been meant for Asgard's throne, and that didn't change - but then Odin began to think of a different part for him. Not king of Asgard, for that was Thor's birthright. Neither did he now wish for Loki to be king of Jötunheim. The Jötnar would have no love for a runt raised by their mortal foes. 

So instead, Odin thought up something new. Not a kingship, though it was Loki's birthright. No, there was a place for Loki's cunning, and it was not as the ruler of the Jötnar. He was already Thor's opposite, and a few hundred years more would make him his older brother's equal. Loki would be Thor's closest confidante as king, his chief counselor. They would be joint rulers in all but name.

But, that held true only if the brothers remained as equals and opposites. If Thor was now changed, would that not throw off everything? Would not the two stars collide, or collapse, or implode? 

Odin heaved a sigh and ran a hand down his face. His two sons would drive him to the Odinsleep early at this rate. The one was refusing to talk to him; the other was not himself half the time. Even Frigga was at a loss. She could only tell him to give them time. To let them sort themselves out. Odin was tired of giving them time, but what else could he do?

"Father! It's good to see you here."

What better timing could Thor have had, Odin wondered dryly, turning around to face his son. "Thor, it is good to see you also. How goes it with your comrades?"

"Well," Thor said, "as with myself. How go the diplomatic meetings?"

The meetings were with an envoy from Alfheim, realm of the Light Elves. An errant Æsir had somehow gotten into Alfheim, and now had a string of thefts and even murder on his name. As soon as the Light Elves had caught him, they'd called to Heimdall for an audience. The envoy had now been on Asgard for ten days. That was nine days too long, in Odin's opinion.

"As well as can be expected when one of your citizens trespasses on another realm and murders one of their citizens," Odin said heavily. "They wish for much compensation; compensation I am not willing to give. From what we've been able to discern, it is more the fault of Alfheim that he was able to go there unnoticed, than of Asgard. He had hidden himself within a group of Light Elves quite cunningly." 

"But of course Alfheim would never admit its fault," Thor said, rolling his eyes. "The elves, both light and dark, are a proud people. Different than the Æsir's pride, but far more temperamental. Much like the dwarves."

Odin huffed a slight laugh. "Never let that be known to them; both sides would kill you for those words alone." 

"They might try, but succeeding is a much different matter." Thor smiled, a cunning and cold smile.

It was the sort of thing Thor might say, yet it was not the way he would say it. "Ah, that is true, my son. The future king of Asgard will not be done away with so easily, will he?"

Something like a grimace passed over Thor's face. "Of course not, All-F- Father. But may I make a suggestion as to the diplomatic talks?" 

"Of course; although I may not take that suggestion to heart." 

"The Æsir who has sinned, let him be punished severely, and publicly. But do not kill him; leave that choice to the elves. Once he has been punished, give him over to them. Although they will still desire compensation, such punishment of the guilty party will cool their anger and heal their pride."

Odin looked at Thor for a long moment, surprised. Then he affected a tone of anger. "You would have us torture one of our citizens publicly, to heal Alfheim's wounded pride?" 

Thor tilted his head, a precisely un-Thor mannerism. "I would have us justly punish a trespasser, a thief, and a murderer where all can see and take note. I would have us assuage Alfheim's anger with a public show that costs us nothing, not even our own pride or honor. You are a strong king, All-Father, and your people will see no differently. I would have us give to Alfheim the prisoner, a show of regard to them and a way to rid ourselves of an unwanted menace."

Surely, Odin thought, this Thor could not truly be the same Thor as the one who had but last week suggested his master plan be to intimidate the Light Elves into submission? Surely this Thor was an entirely different person?

"You...speak wisely, my son," Odin said after a long moment. "I shall think over your suggestions further, but I believe they will work. Now I must go, for unfortunately yet another meeting calls. Farewell, Thor."

Thor nodded and turned to leave. "Farewell, All-Father." Within seconds his footsteps had faded down the hallway.

Odin turned also and began to walk his own way, pondering all that his son had spoken. It truly was a masterful and cunning plan. Odin doubted it would free Asgard entirely from compensation, but he thought it likely that it would lessen it. Thor...

Then he stopped. 

_"You are a strong king, All-Father, and your people will see no differently."_

All-Father?

_"Farewell, Thor."_

_"Farewell, All-Father."_

Had Thor called him All-Father? Only Loki called him such; Thor had ever called him Father only. 

A change in Thor's character, as strange as it may be, could be explained. But a clear and absolute change in his mannerisms...

A suspicion began to form.

 

* * *

 

Odin waited for several weeks more before he decided to test out his suspicion. He wasn't yet certain of what was going on, and he knew it would be unwise to strike before circumstances were perfect. Too much hung in the balance; Odin couldn't risk making mistakes.

Finally, when Thor casually mentioned he was going hunting with Sif and his Warriors Three, Odin knew what he must do. It was a small trip, barely three days in all, and therefore needed little fanfare. Odin was willing to bet only a handful of servants in the entire palace even knew the crown prince was leaving, let alone what for. 

He went to Frigga and told her of his suspicions and his plan. She listened intently, then nodded slowly once he was done.

"I am unsure of this, my husband," she said finally. "But it does seem like something he would do. If you turn out to be correct, I must warn you...be wary. Our son's temper is hot at best. I must ask that you do not take offense at anything he might say."

"I will not," he promised. He took her hand and kissed it, then drew back. "Norns willing, I will be back soon with good news for us both."

Frigga smiled. "Go swiftly, and go well."

Odin turned and strode from her room. 

An hour and a half into searching the palace and its grounds, Odin still had not found Loki. He'd asked nearly every servant he'd seen, knowing that the news of his looking for the youngest prince would be spreading around the palace. Loki might have no fondness for Odin at the moment - or perhaps within the last few decades, at any rate - but he was insatiable curious. He wished to know everything he could, and he would want to know why Odin was looking for him.

Odin came to a stop in front of his throne room. He wondered for a moment if Loki might be in there. It was indecent, almost lawless, to be in the king's throne room when the king was not himself present. Loki, with his disdain for rules of every sort, would hardly care, and Odin knew the lengths he would go to for solitude. But just as he was about to open the door and check, he heard familiar footsteps. He turned around.

"Thor," he said, his tone surprised. "It's odd to see you here; were you not supposed to be on that hunting trip you told me about a week ago?"

Thor tilted his head, his eyes narrowed - not a normal Thor gesture. Good. He was in one of his odd moods. "I'm surprised you remember."

His tone was strangely bitter. Odin filed that away. "You know that you and your brother are very important to me. I would spend more time with you if I could, but my duties take me away. But come, tell me how it is that you are back so early. Did you not set off just this morning?"

"I did, but left behind a vital supply and came back to retrieve it. I was just on my way to it." The answer seemed rehearsed.

"Ah. I see." Odin paused, taking a moment to critically examine his son.

There were clear, striking differences between he and his usual self. He stood lighter, on his toes instead of his heels - poised to run, not fight. His eyes were narrowed and calculating, not open and honest. His arms were loose by his sides instead of his normal tense readiness, and it was his fingers instead that were tense, curled inwards, snakes ready to strike. The arms were what warriors used to fight; the hands were what  _seiðr_ -wielders used to weave spells.

"Thor," Odin said slowly, "Could it be that you have begun to learn the works of  _seiðr?"_

Thor started, a flicker of nervousness crossing his expression so swiftly Odin only saw because he was looking. "What? No, Father, I am a warrior through-and-through!  _Seiðr_  is for women and weaklings." 

"So you say, yet Loki and Frigga both wield it." Odin saw Thor open his mouth, and waved it off. "No, there is no need to respond. I have delayed you long enough; go, prepare for your travels. I wish you good hunting."

"Thank you, Father." Thor bowed his head slightly and hurried off.

"Ah, Thor! One more thing."

Thor stopped. "I am listening."

"If you see Loki, tell him I wish to speak with him immediately."

Thor almost seemed to blanch. "Yes, Father." This time when he walked away, Odin let him go. 

The All-Father turned and began to walk. Even such a short conversation had given him so much more information. Unfortunately, with that came only more questions. How could Thor's entire bearing change from day to day? How could his stance - the stance that had been drilled into him for a millennia - be lost, replaced with a  _seiðr_ -wielder's posture?

His first thought had been that Thor was slowly descending into insanity. But that could not be so. Insanity did not take a person's bearing and replace it with one entirely opposite. It did not utterly change a person's character; it did not make them shrink from things they once loved; it did not make them speak in a way they never had before. Insanity could not change a warrior to a  _seiðmaðr_. 

No. As implausible as it seemed, Odin could see only one option.

"All-Father, you asked to see me?"

Odin spun around at the voice. "Ah, Loki. Strange that your brother could find you so swiftly, when I labored hours."

"Hours?" Loki shifted just slightly. His usual acerbic tone had lost its bite. "It is a matter of importance, then? Has the council once more decided to create a holiday of Thor's birthday? Or is it a disaster still greater?"

Odin took a moment to look at Loki before answering. He silently noted everything: immaculate appearance, confident smirk, cunning eyes. Shoulders straight, weight on toes, fingers curled.

It was just a moment, a mere second. But in that moment, Odin abruptly changed what he'd been about to say. "Indeed, the council has its moments of folly. Do you remember that time you sat in and they spoke of damming one of our largest rivers in order to stop flooding in some parts of Asgard? You had some choice words to say on the matter, I believe.

Loki's eyes lit up, the suspicion instantly dropping at the opportunity to show his prowess. "It would be hard to forget. As though damming that river would have helped! The primary source of flooding in that region is the heavy rainfall. To dam that river would be to destroy an entire ecosystem in order to fix absolutely nothing. What they need is a way to increase the run-off of the water so that it doesn't collect. The looks on their  _faces_  when I told them that..." 

Odin couldn't help but smile at the full-on grin on Loki's face. Yet that smile was not only a response to Loki's but also a response to his words. It had not been Loki who had sat in on that meeting. It had been Thor. 

He decided to confirm his suspicions. "Yes, that was quite the event indeed. Oh, but I just remembered something I wish to tell your brother. Would you walk with me? I would still enjoy your company."

Fear, then suspicion of his own flickered in Loki's eyes. "He must be long gone by now, All-Father. He had already found what he needed when he informed me of your summons. He's probably halfway to catching up with his friends by now."

"It's been scarcely five minutes," Odin said evenly. "I just saw him; there's no way he could already have left. Come, Loki, walk with me."

"You assume I wish to walk with you," Loki snapped. "If you needed me only to talk to Thor, then I would have no part in it. Unless you would command me,  _my king?"_

It was cunning, to disguise his fear in such a way. He took what had previously been a point of dissension between them as a reason to worm his way out. But Odin had played this game far longer than Loki had.

"Not a command, just a father's wish for kinship with his son," he said mildly. "With both sons, in fact. The reason I looked for you for so long was to speak to you, and Thor also, together. Since he is here, it is my wish to do so now. After all, no Æsir true could leave the palace so swiftly. He would have to be a mere simulacrum. And that would be impossible, wouldn't it?" 

Loki swallowed, shifting almost imperceptibly. Odin's words had been carefully constructed so Loki wouldn't know what Odin knew - but they were just suspicious enough that he would be uncertain. There was still a chance he'd refuse on the same grounds he had before, but Odin had thrown him off-balance. And once he'd been thrown off, Loki always found it hard to regain himself.

And it showed. "Quite impossible, All-Father. Only the foremost magicians could possibly-"

"Which is why we must go at once." Without giving Loki the chance for more excuses, Odin seized his upper arm and dragged him along to Thor's room. "Come, Loki." 

"Unhand me!" Loki cried indignantly, pulling at Odin's hand. "Would you manhandle your own citizen?"

"No, but on occasion I would do so for my _son._ Now cease your fighting, Loki, and be quiet."

Thankfully - whether it was because of Odin's words, or the cold glare he sent Loki's way - his son obeyed.

As subtly as he could, Odin watched Loki's face. Fear and suspicion mingled together with anger and annoyance. Loki knew that Odin at least suspected, and Odin knew Loki did not want him to find out. There was a plan forming there, underneath the calculating gazes Loki stole his way. And less than ten steps from Thor's room, Loki's fear hardened to determination. And Odin knew he'd made a plan.

He had a feeling he knew what it was.

Sure enough, when they strode into Thor's chambers, they were greeted with Thor.

Even though he'd been expecting something of the sort, the sight still awed him. It was Thor's form exactly: his height, his width, his clothes, his features. The amount of concentration and power that must have gone into such a sight was astonishing. Loki had gotten everything right - the blinking of his eyes, the subtle indentation of a heartbeat, the inhale and exhale of breath. 

Well, almost everything.

He let go of Loki, whose eyes were trained intensely forward. He was smirking in anticipation of his victory.

"Father," said Thor's simulacrum, "have you need of something? I've found what I need, I was just about to go." 

Even the voice was nigh-perfect, an imitation Odin himself could not have made. Loki had even captured his mannerisms - the way he held his chin, his stance, his expressions. It was ironic how it had been those exact things that had first clued Odin.

"I wished to speak with both of you," he said, "but first, a question if you will. Why is it that when I saw you but minutes ago, you were battle-ready in armor, but now you are wearing different garments altogether?"

Both Loki and his simulacrum froze together, their expressions changing to twin looks of dismay. It was to Loki's credit that the response came not from him, but from Thor's imitation.

"Ah, a slightly embarrassing tale. A palace maid spilled wine on me as she passed, and I had to change."

That still didn't explain why he wasn't in new armor. But Odin would not push Loki to yet more lies. No, he only wanted the truth. "Is that so? Then she must've spilled it on this change of clothes as well, for I see a spot right there."

"Where?"

Odin stepped closer and pointed to an indeterminate spot near the imitation's rib-cage. 

"Here? But I don't see-"

"No. Right  _here."_

His finger passed into thin air. Odin turned and looked Loki straight in the eye. 

Loki stared back, wide-eyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Odin's parenting in the MCU leaves a lot to be desired, one of the biggest issues for me is this: Asgard is very clearly against Jotunheim and against the Jotnar. Thor has no scruples against going to war with them, and no one else except Odin seems to, either. Clearly, there's a lot of prejudice against the Frost Giants.
> 
> What completely astounds me is that Odin clearly knows about this and allows it to happen in front of Loki. If he didn't want it to happen in front of Loki, he would've tried to curb Thor's thoughts, or even better, taught Loki not to try and kill his own race. Odin obviously intended to tell Loki about his heritage at some point before he was forced to, so I'm very confused: how in the world did he think that Loki, who had been taught all this horrible rhetoric about Frost Giants all his life, was going to react sensibly and not go insane?


End file.
